City Councilwoman Susan Guidry will introduce an ordinance to help change marijuana laws in New Orleans in an effort to free up police officers for more serious crimes.

City Councilwoman Susan Guidry will introduce an ordinance to help change marijuana laws in New Orleans in an effort to free up police officers for more serious crimes.

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Updated: 10:52 PM CST Jan 25, 2016

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WEBVTT GETTING CAUGHT WITH WEED COULDHOLD LESS PENALTIES THAN GETTINGA PARKING OR SPEEDING TICKET INORLEANS PARISHCOUNCILWOMAN SUSAN GUIDRY ISINTRODUCING AN ORDINANCE THATWOULD GIVE OFFICERS MOREFLEXIBILITY WHEN DECIDINGWHETHER TO ARREST MARIJUANAUSERS OR SIMPLY ISSUE THEM ASUMMONS TO APPEAR IN COURT. A FIRST TIME OFFENDER COULD GETOFF WITH A VERBAL WARNING. IT RESULTS IN FEWER PEOPLEBEING PUT IN JAIL.CASEY A FIRST TIME OFFENDER: COULD GET OFF WITH A VERBALWARNING. THE SECOND TIME, A WRITTENWARNING. THEN, A $50 FINE THE THIRD TIME.ANY TIME AFTER THAT, IT'S A $100FINE. IT'S AT THE OFFICER'SDISCRETION>> TO SEE A SITUATION WHERE THEYFEEL LIKE THEY SHOULD JUST GIVEA WARNING AND THEY CAN DO THATAND THEN SEE ANOTHER SITUATIONWHERE THEY KNOW THEY'RE DEALINGWITH A BAD ACTOR, AND WHATTHEY'VE GOT ON THEM AT THATPOINCASEY: GUIDRY SAYS TOO MANYPEOPLE ARE SPENDING TIME IN JAILFOR SIMPLE MARIJUANA POSSESSION,CLOGGING UP THE JAIL, OCCUPYINGVALUABLE POLICE RESOURCES, ANDTHEN THOSE OFFENDERS STRUGGLE TOGET BACK ON TRACK ONCE THEY'RERELEASED. >> THEY CAN'T BOND OUT, AND THEYWIND UP LOSING THEIR JOB. THEN THEY GET OUT AND THEY AREREALLY IN DESPERATECIRCUMSTANCES, AND REALLY, ITMAKES THE SEVERITY OF THEPUNISHMENT MUCH MORE THAN THESEVERITY OF THE CRIMCASEY: RIGHT NOW, OFFICERS CANUSE DISCRETION ON A FIRSOFFENCE, BECAUSE OF A LAWPROPOSSED BY GUIDRY IN 2010PASSED BY THE CITY COUNCIL.AN ANALYSIS SHOWS THERE WERE5,000 FEWER ARRESTS MADE IN THEFOUR YEARS AFTER THAT LAW WASPASSED COMPARED TO THE 4 YEARSPRIOR.>> WE HAVE FOUND THAT THE POLIOFFICE ARE 70% OF THE TIME AREWRITING OUT A SUMMONS, RATHERTHAN TAKING SOMEONE TO JAIL.CASEY: THAT MEANS MORE TIME ISSPENT MAKING ARRESTS ANDPROSECUTING MURDERS, RAPES, AND